See Ball Get Ball with David Pollack

Episode: "What is Miami getting in Darian Mensah? | Unpacking Dabo Swinney CFB Comments"
Date: January 29, 2026
Host: David Pollack
Guest/Analyst: Brent

Episode Overview

In this episode, David Pollack dives deep into major college football storylines from the 2026 offseason. The central focuses are Miami’s high-profile acquisition of QB Darian Mensah and a passionate breakdown of Dabo Swinney’s headline-making comments on tampering and the state of the college football transfer portal. Pollack and guest analyst Brent analyze playoff format tweaks, NIL impacts, top transfer moves, and evolving on- and off-field trends, bringing in trademark candid opinions, data, and plenty of banter.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. College Football Playoff Format Tweaks & Impacts

(03:08 – 07:45)

• The College Football Playoff expands with updated automatic bid rules: Power 4 champions now receive auto-bids, regardless of ranking.
• Notable hypothetical: Last year, Duke (ACC champ) would have made the field; Notre Dame would be guaranteed a spot if ranked in the top 12—even over comparable teams like Miami.
• Pollack’s concern:

  “Is that something that we get fixed? Do I care about this? Yes. Here's another reason why I care … we'll avoid another group of five team getting in it, which should never happen. We should never have that at all.” (06:44)

• Playoff revenue details for Miami: $4 million for making the field, escalating to $20 million total with wins—showcasing rapid financial shifts for top programs.

2. The Darian Mensah-to-Miami Blockbuster

(07:45 – 16:43)

• Miami lands Darian Mensah from Duke—described as a “for real, for real” elite quarterback following a lucrative two-year deal with Duke and now over $10 million in NIL and other considerations for the move.
• Miami's clear pivot: moving away from high-school recruiting to NIL-fueled transfer market dominance at QB.

  “Miami is no longer in the high school recruiting business … Miami’s like, screw that.” (09:25)

• Pollack compares Mensah’s skill set to both Cam Ward’s playmaking and Carson Beck’s arm talent. Brent adds:

  “I like the C.J. Stroud comparison … especially body type, size … Miami got markedly better at QB.” (11:41)

• Stat highlights:
  • Mensah: Top 5 returning QB in CFB per Brent.
  • Over 200 attempts on passes 10+ yards downfield last season; only one of two QBs in Power 4 with those deep-shot numbers.
• Cooper Barkrate, Mensah’s top receiver at Duke, transfers with him—giving Miami a dynamic passing tandem alongside Malachi Tony.

Memorable Quote:

“He's a big-game hunter … looking to murder you down the field and really accurate, and he's been pressured probably 30-plus percent, mid-30s, his entire career.” – Brent (12:13)

3. Potential Risks: Decision-Making and Turnovers with Mensah

(15:27 – 16:43)

• Mensah’s game-breaking upside is balanced by a tendency for “big time mistakes”—like fumbles and risky throws.
• Pollack cautions Miami fans:

  “He will fumble the football … he’ll put the ball in harm’s way. And I think Miami fans are like, wait a minute, we only lost games because Carson turned the football over. I don’t need you to do that.” (15:27)

4. Portal Boom: Coaching & Roster Moves

(16:43 – 23:03)

• LSU lands elite OT Seaton as part of an eight-man O-line class.
  • “Sweet Feet McGee … when you protect quarterbacks like that, you're going to be a first-round pick.” (18:38)
  • Pollack critiques Seaton’s “annoying” lack of aggression as a run-blocker, despite his immense talent.
• Lane Kiffin’s move to LSU is tied to splash-portal spending for O-line upgrades.
• Discussion of the importance of both securing key QBs and edge rushers in today’s CFB financial ecosystem.

5. Dabo Swinney’s Tampering Rant & The Ethics of the Portal

(25:27 – 36:35)

• Pollack summarizes Dabo’s public stand: outlining a detailed tampering timeline where another program (identified as Ole Miss) poached a recently enrolled Clemson player.
• Dabo’s analogy:

  “This situation is like having an affair on your honeymoon. … I want to challenge all of them. You need to step up and call it out. Otherwise, don't complain. … Or just shut your mouth and don't complain again.” – Dabo Swinney (Played in segment; 28:01)

• Brent and Pollack agree this is a “seminal moment”: public receipts, growing unrest among coaches, yet deep skepticism about the NCAA acting decisively or quickly.
• Pollack:

  “If the NCAA doesn’t do something with this, I quit with the NCAA. Go away. Walk away. … You cannot let people be enrolled at a school taking classes … and then do this.” (31:30)

• Noted: Some conferences handle tampering complaints internally to “protect their own,” rather than reporting to NCAA.

6. Quick Hits: Senior Bowl, NFL Prospects, and Short QBs

(36:35 – 42:41)

• Matt Miller (Senior Bowl correspondent) recaps top practice standouts: Malachi Fields (Notre Dame WR), Jacob Rodriguez (LB), Lee Hunter (DL), Zion Young (DE).
• Brief discussion on Diego Pavia, a “super competitive but undersized” QB prospect whose toughness stands out but likely lacks an NFL superpower trait.

  “There’s not very many short quarterbacks … it’s not a high clip and you better have something sensational.” (41:52)

7. More Playoff Tweaks & Scheduling

(43:17 – 44:56)

• New rules: The highest-ranked Group of Six team earns an at-large, not necessarily a champion.
• Proposal for Army-Navy to be played at 11am Black Friday for maximum attention without playoff schedule disruptions.

8. Coaching Carousel & NFL/Culture Notes

(47:21 – 49:11)

• Praise for Gary Patterson as USC DC:

  “I don’t know anybody that ever did it Gary Patterson’s way. … I love the fact that he gets to be a ball coach.” (47:29)

• Arthur Smith to Ohio State as OC:

  “It’s hard to screw up the Ohio State job.” (48:02)

• Pollack on Belichick not being a first-ballot Hall of Famer:

  “If he’s not a first-ballot Hall of Famer, like, I don’t know what is.” (49:24)

9. Personal & Banter Segments

(50:48 – end)

• Pollack’s son Nicholas goes viral with a highlight-reel dunk; playful debate about generational athleticism.
• Tease for future podcasts: upcoming interviews with every new FBS head coach, in-depth X’s and O’s, and personality insights.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Mensah’s fit in Miami:

  “When you put Cooper [Barkrate] with Malachi [Tony], that’s a great one-two punch to have your deep guy, to have your short guy … Miami spent this money and had to spend this money. … You made a lot of extra money in the playoffs. … You’re now starting to be transfer quarterback U.” – David Pollack (16:00)

• On Dabo’s comments and NCAA enforcement:

  “It’s like going on trial for a murder, right? And you’re like, hey, here’s the gun, here’s the timeline … you got it all written out, man.” (36:13)
  “If the NCAA doesn’t do something with this, I quit with the NCAA. … You cannot let people be enrolled at a school taking classes … and then do this.” (31:30)

• On playoff data:

  “By teams are one in seven in the College Football Playoff in the last two years. That’s a big number, bro … That’s hard data.” – Pollack (44:25)

• Miami’s strategy shift:

  “Miami is no longer in the high school recruiting business … they paid Cam Ward 1.5 [million] a couple years ago and ended up being the number one pick. That’s a steal, like nowadays.” (09:25)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• CFB Playoff format tweaks: 03:08 – 07:45
• Darian Mensah Miami transfer analysis: 07:45 – 16:43
• Mensah’s upside and risk: 15:27 – 16:43
• OT Seaton, LSU & Portal Talk: 16:43 – 23:03
• Dabo Swinney tampering comments & NCAA debate: 25:27 – 36:35
• Senior Bowl standouts: 36:35 – 42:41
• Short QBs & NFL “superpowers”: 41:52 – 43:17
• Playoff scheduling tinkering: 43:17 – 44:56
• Coaching moves & quick hits: 47:21 – 49:11
• Personal/family/banter: 50:48 – end

Tone & Takeaways

Pollack maintains his signature no-nonsense, straight talk persona, blending strong opinions (especially on tampering and portal ethics) with deep tactical analysis. Both he and Brent mix informality and humor (lots of banter on malls, Black Friday, and family stories) with pointed critique—especially about CFB’s shifting landscape driven by money, NIL, and the erosion of traditional recruiting and “relational” coaching.

Fans looking for a detailed understanding of Miami’s QB future, playoff politics, the portal, and swirling college football controversies will find this episode both highly informative and entertaining.